HOW WOULD YOU DEAL WITH A GREEDY STORE MANAGER FOR JORDAN RELEASES FROM THE INSIDE?

With the state of the shoe game now we are all aware of all the hype surrounding Jordan releases.  I happen to live in Htown, one of the major sneaker capitals in the US.  Haven't posted in a while but wanted to get points of views from everyone.  Me and my boys are all OG sneakerheads (age 35+) and all have jobs/wives/families and don't have time for raffles and standing in line for tickets and we know the game we pay under the table and just get it over with.  In houston almost EVERY store manager sells some of there inventory under the table, you just have to pay to play.

In between us buying for ourselves, sons and/or daughters, and sometimes wives we buy anywhere between 20-30 shoes a release depending on the release and have been doing it for a while since last year.  None of our buying is for resell purposes, only to get our sz as most of us are sz 11.5 and up which are extremely hard to get.  This particular manager is female, works for one of the footlocker companies ( champs, footaction, footlocker).  

Last year she was at 40$ a mens shoe and 20$ per GS shoe which was reasonable.

This year she raised her prices 50$ a mens shoe and 30$ per GS shoe which is still reasonable IMO BUT.....

When the carmine release was discussed yesterday she said 70$ per mens and 50$ per GS shoe and said she's not budging.  Keep in mind the store does raffles and we have been paying her for "Winning" tickets.

Now mind you me and my boys are faithful buyers and have put 1,000.00's in cold hard cash in her pocket over the past almost year and a half... she made so much money during the november-december period she bought a new car.  She even said come december she's gonna charge 100$ a shoe for mens 70 for GS sizes

How would you guys deal with this?  I'm not a snitch but I personally do not like being bent over, and neither do any of my boys.  Also we feel you can charge your other people 70.... but take care of those that take care of you.  I can tell you from this concord release no shoe bigger than a sz 10 went to the public.

I hear so much complaining about resellers... but the game is so corrupt the store managers are the resellers.  Again she is not a private boutique owner but a store manager for one of the major footlocker corporation stores (CHAMPS, FOOTLOCKER, FOOTACTION).   When the Jordan price increase comes after tax and her crazy fee a mens shoe would be almost 280.00 for a general release shoe.

Who needs resellers when the store managers are them?  She's not the only one, the list is long, but she's who we've been dealing with.  Mind you she only has had the job around 2 years and was a replacement for managers fired during the 2011 concord release selling kicks under the table.  

Whats you guys thoughts on how to handle the situation? 

You reap what you sow.

Karma is a MF.

yep she will eventually be fired like all the rest

i love how all the choices in the poll involve snitching, each just glorify it differently.

resell game is simple.... you pay it, she keeps doing it. tell that female dog to get cuffed a chunk the deuce. you gotta hit them resellers in their pockets. if shes gonna do it whether you buy from her or not, I would black male her or pull some other shady ****..... but i'm the wrong guy to be asking. I can be your best friend or your worst nightmare.... I don't play nice with ********.

Damn u been basically making it harder for everyone in your area to get their pairs fairly so I have no sympathy for either of u. Like dude above me said karma is a mf. Dont complain now and cant knock her hustle.. either pay wat she wants or move on... and naw u cant snitch on her since u reeped the benefits of her services

She has been providing a service because there has been demand for it.

Sooner or later she will lose her job, but look man you're the one that has created her into what she has become.

You can justify your choices in whatever way you see fit, but to me...

Why is $40 on top ok but $100 isn't? These shoes are supposed to sell for MSRP.

You were willing to play it shady because it worked in your favour. It isn't like that anymore... but really you're in no position to complain.

Siye said:

She has been providing a service because there has been demand for it.

Sooner or later she will lose her job, but look man you're the one that has created her into what she has become.

You can justify your choices in whatever way you see fit, but to me...

Why is $40 on top ok but $100 isn't? These shoes are supposed to sell for MSRP.

You were willing to play it shady because it worked in your favour. It isn't like that anymore... but really you're in no position to complain.

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I see your logic, but understand there is no option to buy the shoe for MSRP.  Do you live in a major city where there is mayhem every shoe release?  Before all the raffles and guaranteed tickets sizes were being sold under the table back in 2011 at the concord release they fired managers for hoarding all the pairs and selling them out the door.  Its the if you can't beat them join them position.  And keep in mind i'm only one of many.

40.00 isn't right neither is 100, but tell me what do you would do you pay to get the shoe, or someone else pays its thats simple.  The point is you take care of your people they take care of you.  Just so much greed involved people don't realize it til its too late.  

I live in a major city but shoes aren't huge here. You may strike out but it's nothing like riot inducing thirst.

All I can say is this. Morally she is in a position where should should NOT be selling these shoes under the table. You know this, yet facilitate her anyways. Being forced to pay over MSRP really sucks but your options aren't 0. What I'm trying to say here is that you need to play legit if you want things to change. You're not being a part of the solution, only the problem. If you have absolutely no chance of paying MSRP, then all you can do is take the L or pay resell that does not involve a breach of conduct. I mean, there's always Ebay right? You can always make connects with people who aren't breaking any rules.

But really... buying shoes under the table like that isn't good. Think how others would feel and really it's a very short lived benefit.

salvi650 said:

Damn u been basically making it harder for everyone in your area to get their pairs fairly so I have no sympathy for either of u. Like dude above me said karma is a mf. Dont complain now and cant knock her hustle.. either pay wat she wants or move on... and naw u cant snitch on her since u reeped the benefits of her services

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I'm one guy... and get maybe 2 (1 for me and my son) or  3 pairs at most if my wife wants it.  The problem is I used to wait in line for hours and be number 2 and 3 to find my size was sold out everytime.  It was so frustrating til I ran into a highschool buddy of mine I met up with after 15 years to buy a ticket from and he told me what was going on.  He explained i would never get my pair because she was selling x amount of pairs before they would even hand out tickets.  thus this is where it is.

You say don't knock the hustle .......there is no hustle.... funny she doesn't own not one pair of shoes she's selling.  I have more respect for a reseller who buys with his own money and flips than a person who gets greedy.  There is no making harder for everyone in my area.... the hustle was there long before me... and If you live long enough you know very little is fair when it comes to shoes and money.

Siye said:

I live in a major city but shoes aren't huge here. You may strike out but it's nothing like riot inducing thirst.

All I can say is this. Morally she is in a position where should should NOT be selling these shoes under the table. You know this, yet facilitate her anyways. Being forced to pay over MSRP really sucks but your options aren't 0. What I'm trying to say here is that you need to play legit if you want things to change. You're not being a part of the solution, only the problem. If you have absolutely no chance of paying MSRP, then all you can do is take the L or pay resell that does not involve a breach of conduct. I mean, there's always Ebay right? You can always make connects with people who aren't breaking any rules.

But really... buying shoes under the table like that isn't good. Think how others would feel and really it's a very short lived benefit.

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Again its always good to hear point of views but since situation is different then hard for you to relate.  She is not the only one... just the closest one in distance.  I literally know  8-10 managers and all of them do the same thing.  It was so bad last Year that the shoe company Sheik fired their district manager store managers and almost 60-70 employees just in the houston area from a employee that snitched.  Now the raffles are all done online through a code system.  

You used to be able to line up fcfs for tickets which they do time to time, but you are getting leftovers from everything that has been sold under the table.  Raffles are a joke money talks in this world period.  Whats to play legit when you know whats been going on before you and will be going on after you?  If I could tell you what it was like for the xi low release you would not believe me, the saddest thing i've seen in my life.... 

I said my city isn't big on shoes but that doesn't mean it's easy for me. I'm predominantly an SB collector and finding a 6 is impossible locally. Canadian SB size runs start at size 8. So my options are usually a choice of three or less US online retailers or a drive down to Seattle where 1 or 2 retailers may have a couple pairs in my size.

I still think you have it much easier.

Nor would I support a crooked store manager. It's either take the L or pay up. But I will always choose to walk away from that.

Damn she's hella greedy.

ScrubStoreOwner said:

You reap what you sow.
Karma is a MF.

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this.

the situation is what you, OP, helped make.

they're just shoes. how many feet do you have?

rat her out.  She should be grateful that she even found loyal customers willing to pay her fee to begin with.  Now she's just getting straight greedy.  

i would rat her out, make her lose her job.

she should be more than glad that shes making good money on the side, not being greedy and beating buyers over the head with prices.

Set up a buy where you give her cash for a winning ticket and record all of it. Call corporate and send them the footage. She should be fired the next day if not that same day

eltouha said:

this.

the situation is what you, OP, helped make.

they're just shoes. how many feet do you have?

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The situation was there before me and will be there once i leave until a real change happens.  Your right they are just shoes.... but this is a shoe forum right?

This is not karma has nothing to do with reaping what you sow.   She made it this way.... not me.... either deal with her or another manager... thing is dudes are so blind to whats really going on.  I said it 2 years ago retail is a luxury reserved for store employees.  Anything else you are getting leftovers after everyone else has paid for in almost EVERY store...

but greed has no place thats the fall get greedy get canned

bigmike24000 said:

The situation was there before me and will be there once i leave until a real change happens.  Your right they are just shoes.... but this is a shoe forum right?
This is not karma has nothing to do with reaping what you sow.   She made it this way.... not me.... either deal with her or another manager... thing is dudes are so blind to whats really going on.  I said it 2 years ago retail is a luxury reserved for store employees.  Anything else you are getting leftovers after everyone else has paid for in almost EVERY store...
but greed has no place thats the fall get greedy get canned

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not your fault but her? nonsense. you can't deny that you both contributed to the problem. neither of you personally created it, of course.

i just stopped buying jays altogether this year. not a single pair. i used to be exclusively jays, but i really don't miss it. Plenty in my rotation to keep me going for years. As a fellow 35+y/o "OG head", i'd imagine you could easily do the same.

let the noobs have them.

Its all about leverage. As simple as that.

You want the shoes and she can provide. She has leverage over you. Hence she makes money off you.

If you think that youre overpaying too much, her leverage over you (being able to provide what you want) disappears because now you dont give a **** that prices are too high.

Then now, you have leverage over her. You have proof (or at least an opinion) that you can raise against her that may jeopardize her job.

Use it to your advantage. You both are doing illegal ****, so you both have leverage over each other, its a matter of keeping the balance.  

She raises prices because you acted in a way that made her to believe she can slap you around as she pleases.

If she felt that making you an unhappy customer could backfire on her, she wouldnt have acted in such a way.

You reap what you sow.

Not in a sense where you participated in the reselling game, but in a sense that you let her dictate the terms as she pleases.

My opinion is if you want the shoes, then get it, whatever the means are.

If you can talk a manager into providing for some extra dollar, good for you.

Time is gold and for many, paying that extra $50 or even $100, is time (=money) saved.

But you have to deal with your people. If shes out of control, then it is because you and other buyers are letting her.

If she knows she can make more money, WHY SHOULDNT SHE? Greed isnt a bad thing, its human nature.

Only paying $40 on top for guaranteed access to the kicks was probably too cheap all along.  Now that she realizes it was below market, you're gonna blow her up?  Not cool.

It's not like you're going to bring down a cartel by exposing her.  Someone else will step in and continue the practice.

NickStam said:

Only paying $40 on top for guaranteed access to the kicks was probably too cheap all along.  Now that she realizes it was below market, you're gonna blow her up?  Not cool.

It's not like you're going to bring down a cartel by exposing her.  Someone else will step in and continue the practice.

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true, next person in line will probably do the same thing.

I don't deal with shady people like this. People on here complain about my reselling tactics all the time but at least I cop all of my shoes legit without paying anyone to put pairs on the side.

NickStam said:

 
Only paying $40 on top for guaranteed access to the kicks was probably too cheap all along.  Now that she realizes it was below market, you're gonna blow her up?  Not cool.

It's not like you're going to bring down a cartel by exposing her.  Someone else will step in and continue the practice.

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$40 was for the least popular j's.  Anything quickstrike or limited she was charging 75.00.  Now she's trying to get 70 for general releases and even 100 for limited and 100 for the upcoming holiday.  She's becoming the dreaded reseller everyone hates... with shoes that aren't even hers.  Like I said she's not the only one, this thing is huge.  The point is she has made 1,000s of me and my dudes, and with no regard she wants to tax us.  I don't care how you slice it GREED always loses.

Most I would pay is 20 for these general releases, but my online game is 100% success rate.

Online bots/rsvp services are cheaper than her anyway.  Some even free.

alp said:

true, next person in line will probably do the same thing.

I don't deal with shady people like this. People on here complain about my reselling tactics all the time but at least I cop all of my shoes legit without paying anyone to put pairs on the side.

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I respect you for that.  You wear a 14 like me right?  Man here in the H sz 13 and 14 are always sold under the table impossible to get.  I know mangers at 5 different HOH, champs and footactions.  I learned the hard way that its impossible to get my size...

bigmike24000 said:

I respect you for that.  You wear a 14 like me right?  Man here in the H sz 13 and 14 are always sold under the table impossible to get.  I know mangers at 5 different HOH, champs and footactions.  I learned the hard way that its impossible to get my size...

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I wear more of a 11.5-13 but will rock 14 depending on the shoe and whether its the only option left (galaxy rookies I won rsvp in a 14 and is big but not that bad). Other shoes a 14 would be too big for me, its never the first option for me.

Now I never bribe or anything like that but last year extending into this year I was winning at a hoh like crazy (practically every week, and on the good stuff, not just crap). The girl who was signing up the names was feeling me and winning was nice. They started having dudes do the sign up now

dkim1017 said:

 
Its all about leverage. As simple as that.

You want the shoes and she can provide. She has leverage over you. Hence she makes money off you.

If you think that youre overpaying too much, her leverage over you (being able to provide what you want) disappears because now you dont give a **** that prices are too high.

Then now, you have leverage over her. You have proof (or at least an opinion) that you can raise against her that may jeopardize her job.

Use it to your advantage. You both are doing illegal ****, so you both have leverage over each other, its a matter of keeping the balance.  

My opinion is if you want the shoes, then get it, whatever the means are.

If you can talk a manager into providing for some extra dollar, good for you.

Time is gold and for many, paying that extra $50 or even $100, is time (=money) saved.

But you have to deal with your people. If shes out of control, then it is because you and other buyers are letting her.

If she knows she can make more money, WHY SHOULDNT SHE? Greed isnt a bad thing, its human nature.

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Truth is im doing nothing illegal.  I am not violating any policies nor am I in any sort of jeopardy if something goes down.  I have solid proof, copies of the tickets and its an open and shut case.  Don't want to make someone lose their job... and time does equal money, but I despise greed.  GREED is not only a bad thing.... it has cost many people their jobs, familes, lives, and has brought down multi billion dollar corporations.  

Did you see what happened to nike suing those guys who stole samples..... they want all the money from the sales of them not just the 20-30 dollar value of each shoe. 

Truth is the tickets she is selling belong to the company.  The shoes belong to the company.  She is profiting of the company at their expense.  We all know this...

The company can do nothing to me I paid for every pair of shoes... I have every single receipt.  The buyer always has the power... but their is no place for greed unless you want a new career.  Many managers before her and even now are being fired for the same thing... and she takes her loyal customers and tries to rape then..... sad thing is I bet it's the person who only usually buys one pair who gets mad and snitches....not the guys buying 2 or 3 pair.